Incalculable Grace and Blessings from Reciting the Word: An Interview with Past Winners of Bible Quizzes
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October 05, 2008 |
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First begun in 2001 to equip Manmin members with the Word of God and now in its 8th year, the Final Round of this year's Bible Quiz took place following the Evening Service on September 7, 2008.
Manmin News sat down with past winners of the annual Bible Quizzes to hear their secret to reciting the Word and the incalculable grace and blessings they have received from their effort.
Host: First of all, my thanks to you for allowing me the honor of meeting all of the past winners of the annual Bible Quizzes. Memorizing God's Word is a task all Christians must do but many find it difficult to get started. I imagine each of you have a background from which you started memorizing the Bible verses?
Yong-Im Jung: As a church worker, I increasingly felt the importance of equipping myself with the Word. I looked back to examine myself and asked, 'I say I love God but how much of His Word do I know by heart?'
 "It's totally doable only by devoting your spare time." Pastor Yong-Im Jung (7th)
Eun-Young Cho: I didn't prepare for the event from the beginning; I began the preparation in gladness to become a potent worker of God as a pastor.
 "It was the shortcut to entering spirit." Pastor Eun-Young Cho (6th)
Host: Memorizing the Word probably was not as easy as it sounds. Share with us any special secrets you had.
Gi-Sang Yoon: I recorded myself when I memorized the verses and listened to the recordings again and again. For instance, in "The Beatitudes" in Matthew 5, I memorized Verse 4 by associating it with the number "4," the number of suffering, and I could remember other verses like that.
Hyun-Ja Byun: Writing, listening, and talking them out were fundamental. I thought of spiritual significance as I memorized each verse. I also read the preceding and following verses to get a grasp of the background of the particular verses.
Mi-Sun Lee: I have always enjoyed reading the Bible; the Word I read consistently accumulated and helped me tremendously.
 "When the time was 11:24, I'd remember Mark 11:24." Deaconess Mi-Sun Lee (4th)
Host: Were there any humorous incidents?
Kyung-Suk Go: I was always reciting the Word to myself. Soon I realized I was muttering to myself. People would often ask me what I was constantly muttering.
Hyun-Ja Byun: When I saw the #119 Bus, I remembered Psalm 119. While praising, I often thought of the verses associated with the lyrics of the praise songs.
 "I thought of spiritual significance as I memorized each verse." Deaconess Hyun-Ja Byun (3rd)
Mi-Sun Lee: When I saw that the time was 11:24, I'd remember Mark 11:24. Whenever I saw digits arranged in a particular manner, I would remember a particular verse.
Host: Were there any difficulties? If you can impart to us something only the participants of the Bible Quiz can appreciate, please share it with our viewers.
Rev. Soo-Yeol Cho: One of my duties is to visit church members at their homes. When a church member faced problems, my heart was with him and I couldn't focus on studies. Yet, God wants all of us to be sanctified, and I made every effort toward the studies.
I had studied so hard and diligently but a few days before the Final Round, I couldn't remember any of the verses, as if my brain had been fried. Some time before the Final Round, the Senior Pastor wished me good luck and I renewed my strength. I would stay up until 3, 4 in the morning to study but I was not exhausted. When I took my seat in the Final Round, I began shedding tears and my heart was replete with gratitude. As I was deeply inspired by the Holy Spirit, the answer came from the heart. Reciting of the Word was done not by my wisdom and strength but only by God's power.
 "It was done only by God's power." Rev. Soo-Yeol Cho (5th)
Kyung-Suk Go: For the first competition, I had devoted my time but the score was not as high as I had hoped. When I prepared for the second competition not by skill alone but by striving to live according to the Word and committing everything to God, I remained in His inspiration throughout the Final Round.
Many people have asked me whether I had been good at memorizing in school. The truth is, I had been terrible in subjects that required memorization. However, the Word began to sink in my heart and I could do it amidst the Father's grace.
Host: I heard that from reciting the Word and winning the Grand Prize, each of you had received many blessings in spirit and in flesh.
Gi-Sang Yoon: After memorizing Isaiah 58:13, parts of which read, "...you turn your foot From doing your own pleasure on My holy day..." I became more careful with how I behaved on Sundays. While praying, I would also remember relevant verses as well. The experience has been extremely beneficial to my life in Christ.
 "I recorded myself when I memorized the verses." Gi-Sang Yoon (1st)
Eun-Young Cho: As I recited His Word, God poured upon me the kind of grace I had not known before. First of all, I was so glad to have obeyed the Senior Pastor's word. Whenever I found time, I meditated the Word and doing so I blocked off any fleshly thoughts. Furthermore, as I equipped myself with the Word, I discovered incomplete parts of myself and could throw those away. It was the shortcut to entering spirit.
After receiving the strength to always keep the Word in my mind and as I began to hear the voice of and receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit, visiting church members was always done in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The same amount of time devoted to visiting church members now bore more fruit.
I received financial blessings, of course. I had been praying for 12 years for a house and received His answers, while my husband's business has also flourished.
Kyung-Suk Go: When I visited church members at homes, I would anxiously browse the Bible to find appropriate verses. After I began reciting the Word, I felt peace in my heart and I could prepare for the visits prayerfully and in peace.
The more I recited and meditated the Word, the more I discovered about myself and my heart became more earnest for sanctification. There was a time of trial in which I was accomplishing the Word I had memorized but when I passed the trial by clinging to the Word and in prayer, I won the Grand Prize and received blessings, too!
 "My heart became more earnest for sanctification." Deacon Kyung-Suk Go (2nd)
Host: Finally, please offer a word of advice to all future participants.
Soo-Yeol Cho: I hope all of you will keep in mind that what God wants is not to recite well and win the Grand Prize but the transformation of the heart through the reciting of the Word.
Yong-Im Jung: I know everyone is busy all the time, but each of us actually has a lot of spare time. Preparation is totally doable only by making the most of your spare time. I am the living proof. Once you start the preparation, you will be given the strength and the grace to keep at it, and when you become convinced of the Word you will be able to lead a life filled with inspiration. I love the Word and plan on reciting it until the Lord returns.
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